Another hot and sunny day dawns, as we approach Paraty, described as the most photographed town in Brazil.  We do an abbreviated workout and really fast breakfast to be ready to go as early as possible – we want ample time to explore the city, do some walking and then try to have lunch – and it is an extremely short port call from 8 to 2…with a 30 minute tender ride each way!  We are lucky and manage to get on the first tender out, with all the tour folks.  And it definitely takes 30 minutes!  But it was a gorgeous 30 minutes, slowly making on calm waters, weaving through little green islands and rocky outcrops.

Arriving at the pier, we make the long walk along the dock with more tourist boats than you can count!  Water tours and water sports and the name of the game here!!!  Once onto dry land the town proper, you can see why the town is such a photographers dream.  Beautiful old white houses with colorful doors line cobblestone streets.  Except those cobblestone streets are more rock streets and you have to be totally careful about walking and not breaking an ankle!  Really difficult, we have no idea how half the people on this ship will handle it.

We begin our wandering at the Chapel Santa Rita dos Pardos Libertos, the city’s oldest church, built in 1722 for all those who were considered “not white enough” to attend the elite churches.  Definitely picturesque on the outside, and typically austere on the inside.  (No pictures allowed…so use your imagination!).

Next we try to find the Casa de Cadeia, which was the town’s prison until 1890.  It is now the town library, and supposedly open daily, but there is a padlock on the door and no signage whatsoever.  So, off we go through the pretty little hazardous streets – passing what we both thought was just a big statue of a monk on the corner next to some shops.  As we turn back to take more pictures, the statue is off the stand and fixing his hair!  It’s one of those mime statue guys!  Too funny.  There were signs that listed a price for a photograph, which we thought was strange for a statue.  Duh!  Now we know!

Arriving at our next destination, the austere Nossa Senora do Rosario e Sao Benedito church (say that fast 3 times!), we enter only to find everything in Portuguese, but the curator enlists a very sweet tourist to translate his explanation of the church to us!  So nice.  He tells us that this church is also for non-whites, and it was built by and for the slaves who laid the cobblestone streets.  (There are 2 non-white churches and 2 elite churches here in this little town.)  Here we can take pictures of the simple, but beautiful single aisle chapel. 

It is still early, and the shops are just opening, so we stop for a bit for Pao de Queijo at a little café to reconnoiter.  Deciding to go ahead and hike up to the Fort Defensor Perpetuo at the top of the hill overlooking the bay, we strike out across the town to the more residential and beach area, passing tons of beach bars and restaurants just starting to get organized for the day. 

The path leading up to the fort, as well as the fort grounds once there, are more like an arboretum with descriptions of all the trees – except the cool one that has bromeliads growing out of it of course – we know what every other tree is, but not that one! It is a nice walk through the forest, with pretty views out over the bay.  At the top of the path are the well manicured fort grounds with more tree descriptions posted among the old cannons from the 1800s.

Inside the squat little fort is the Center for Popular Art, with displays of local traditional community arts and craftwork and gives a good history of the fort.  There is also an excellent history of the city, explaining that Paraty became quite wealthy during the 1700s due to the Caminho do Ouro, the path to gold, used by miners to get to the mines.  Once the Gold Rush ends, the port city falls upon hard times until a warehouse is built to export coffee and the town comes into prominence again.  Paraty prospered for quite some time, until in 1864, Pedro II – with his focus on technology and trains and railways – finishes the railroad between Rio and Sao Paulo, effectively isolating Paraty and making its value as a port obsolete.  The city wallowed, reduced down to merely 600 residents, until the 1950s when the road from Cunha was constructed., and then in 1973 the Rio-Santos highway cemented Paraty’s place as a tourist-cultural destination. 

Very educational!  The displays are as well, with an explanation of 3 drums – very important to the African culture and believed to be Jongo drums, a religion similar to Candomble.  Large iron pots used in sugar mills in the area – in 3 sizes for different degrees of cooking.  And lots of other artist’s displays.  A small museum, but very well done.

After our visit, we wander around the property, climbing out to a promontory with excellent views across the bay – you can see why this location was chosen for the fort.       

Reversing course, we walk back down into town, stopping on the beach for a photo of Quest way out there in the distance, then past this bizarre iron statue filled with ceramic heads.  There is no explanation, but after searching for it, we found that the heads were created during one of the Meetings of Ceramists (which takes place annually here in Paraty) at a workshop held by Luciano Almeida.  Then they were placed in what appears to be an iron spaceship? And placed on the canal walk.  Weird – and no plaque in situ at all – so who knows if this is correct or not! But still intriguing. 

Further along the canal walk we encounter a sweet little yellow bird that actually poses for our pictures. Normally any animal that is posing will run or fly away the minute we pull out our cameras, but not this little guy who we thank profusely as we leave.  Crossing back over the bridge we see what looks like a few restaurants on the canal, but none are open yet, or even give any indication they will be soon.  So we head for the Matrix Nossa Senhora dos Remedios, one of the churches originally built for the white elite.  It took 100 years to build though because of the location and the muddy soil, so instead of 2 towers, they left it without any towers and it is slowly sinking on the left side.  Inside is once again fairly simple, yet elegant. Larger than the slave church, but with the same simplicity of decoration.  The only odd thing is the statue of some saint – assuming Senhora dos Remedios who is the Saint of Medicine – with a knife in her heart.  Hmmmm…..

It is still way too early for the restaurants, so Plan B.  We shop for cabin supplies and gifts for the security gals we adore and Phoebe our stateroom steward.  In the process we have a lovely conversation with one of the shop guys who was so interested in where our ship was going and how big it was, etc.  Then back to the pier and to the ship for lunch which we never do!  But honestly, it is super hot out there and why bother waiting around for what would probably be an overpriced lunch in a touristy beach town?  We enjoyed our time – that’s all that matters!

The afternoon goes by, we hit the gym, the bar then go to the closet for activity prize redemption at 5:15.  One thing we must say is that Pursuit is much more generous with their prizes.  Here?  You need 80 points for a t-shirt!  Geez.  We’ve only got 10 each, even combined we only walk away with a koozie and a bottle opener keychain.  Honestly.  Oh well. They are both small and will be put to good use in this weather!

Later we have dinner in Discoveries where I get my favorite Poke. But, wait.  Now it is a Poke bowl.  Ok, I’m game. Except when it comes, there is literally only 4 or 5 pieces of little tiny tuna cubes on tope of a very healthy portion of rice and precious other food.  Oh, and a ton of pineapple.  Say what?  I had ordered 2 courses of Poke, because of course, we all know I’m the Poke girl. The next course – which sweet Akshay our waiter brought as a double – was no better than the first.  Let the cost cutting begin.  We are noticing more and more little things just like that around this ship.  Not so much Pursuit – except for the Azamazing evening cancellations in Africa – but on Quest? Yeah, it is apparent.  Sigh. Then it is drinks on the balcony, watching the water and silt churn as we leave the bay outside Paraty, Netflix and bed.  Tomorrow Rio and the last day of this leg of our cruise.